In the world of veterinary medicine, the well-being of our beloved pets doesn’t adhere to a 9-to-5 schedule. Emergencies and health concerns can arise at any time, demanding immediate attention and expert care. This is where the invaluable service of out-of-hours veterinary care comes into play, ensuring that our furry companions receive the attention they need, even during the darkest hours of the night. This week, we caught up with Ricardo who is one of the out-of-hours Vets to see what it’s like to be a vet during the night.
In summary Ricardo, what does your role involve?
I’m a Vet in the Out of Hours team at Aldgate and my role varies from day-to-day. I will look after inpatients who have joined us in the day and check on their wellbeing, if they need surgery that hasn’t been completed during the day then this is something my team and I will also pick up. During the night we can do anything from emergency operations, extra diagnostics and emergency consults – we never know what will come through the door!
What qualifications were required for your role and what has been your career journey so far?
I qualified as a Vet over 20 years ago. My career journey so far has been quite varied. I’m originally from Lisbon, Portugal, so I studied and graduated there. At the start of my career I worked as a small animal vet, then I moved across to the UK and worked in the meat industry for a couple of years. I missed clinical work so decided to go back to my roots in small animal medicine. I worked in general practice before becoming an out-of-hours vet. I worked as a out-of-hours vet for several years before joining Aldgate in their new hospital in Bridlington.
What has been your career highlight so far?
There’s been a lot of career highlights for me over the span of a 20-year career, but I have to say that one of my biggest achievements is working alongside Aldgate to help launch a 24h, round-the-clock care service from the very beginning. It’s something that wasn’t available in the local area, and now we even supply an out-of-hours service for a number of vets in both Scarborough and Filey. It’s great to know that we’re making a difference with this service and helping as many animals as possible.
What does a typical night look like for you?
There is no typical night in an out-of-hours service! But to give you some idea of how it works, on weekdays I’ll work between 7.45pm – 8.15am, which is a 12-hour shift, then on weekends i’ll cover a 14-hour shift which falls between 6.45pm – 8.45am.
The usual process when starting each shift is to check on inpatients and to review the critical patients so we can provide additional attention where required. If there are outstanding surgeries or diagnostics that need to be completed then that’s something we’ll pick up. I’ll also answer any incoming enquiries that come through the phone.
Every shift varies so it’s hard to give an average number of cases that we will address. Sometimes it can be 3, but on busier nights it could be 10. It’s important our team are always on the ball during the night shifts so we can be prepared for anything that comes our way.
What do you like most about your job?
I love that my job is always varied and that no two days are the same. I can go from dealing with some of the most fragile patients, and emergency situations that aren’t so straightforward, to diagnosing during consults. I enjoy looking after the cases that come through during the night as they are often situations where you feel like you’ve made a real difference which is very rewarding.
What do you see as the top 3 skills it takes to become an Out of Hours Vet?
To become an out-of-hours vet, I’d say the three skills required would be to have confidence in emergency and critical situations, have the ability to keep a cool head, and of course, be able to adapt to living at night!
If you are ever in need of our emergency services, please call the daytime practice number (Driffield 01377 252087/Bridlington 01262 677269) and follow the instructions. For details on emergency care fees, visit our emergency care page.
